All posts in Recipes

I made some new mom friends from PickyKidPix’s trip to Italy to play soccer! My friend Nathalie is originally from Spain and she taught me how to make authentic paella. In this version, she was clear that this is authentic Valencia paella which features seafood since it’s a coastal town.

There are many versions that utilize the bounty of their particular area which can include rabbit, chicken, and chorizo sausage. But this version does not; strictly seafood — squid, small shrimp, and scallops but those tiny octopi would be good too. She also made her own seafood stock by boiling cod in water with onions, bay leaf, and salt but she said an easy substitute is canned chicken stock. That works even if you are not adding chicken.

As for quantity, paella is meant to feed a crowd. She made enough for 10-12 (in her mind) but it really was enough to feed at least 15. Paella is great like that for stretching; you simply add more rice. Read more…

My mom friend Stella has convinced me to try the Food Stamp challenge. It’s not about losing weight. It’s about bringing attention to Food Stamps and how politicians want to cut this important social program back. The GOP, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, is waging a war on the poor, pushing to decimate the food-stamp program which benefits the most vulnerable out of sheer spite.

The way the program to provide the poor with the bare minimum of daily nutrition has been handled is a metaphor for how the far right in the House is systematically trying to take down the federal government. Breaking all manner of precedents on a series of highly partisan votes, with the Republicans barely prevailing, the House in September slashed the food-stamp program by a whopping $39 billion and imposed harsh new requirements for getting on, or staying on, the program. The point was to deny the benefit to millions. As recently as the mid-Sixties, actual hunger and starvation existed in this country on a significant scale, particularly in the Deep South and Appalachia.

Food stamps are far from an extravagant benefit. The average allocation is $1.40 per person per meal. So, to bring attention to this important social issue, I told Stella that I would try the Food Stamps Challenge. Read more…

Thanksgiving Marinated Prime Rib Recipe

Is this blasphemy? We are not roasting a turkey this year. I am the only one who likes it so we are doing a marinated rib roast from an old Gourmet LA cook book instead. Alas, the cookbook is out of print and no where to be found. You’ll need to marinade the roast and let the Yorkshire pudding batter chill overnight, so please plan accordingly. Read more…

Healthy, Easy Multicultural Recipes for Kids

We are all looking for magic bullets, and the truth is, there is none.

If you want to do well in school, you study; if you want to lose weight, you exercise and eat healthy; if you want to be a good piano player, you practice.

So it stands to reason that if you want your kids to eat well, you have to set them up for success.

When kids eat poorly, it’s because we allow them to.

I met Catherine McCord through my friend Dan, the first person I ever hired at my first job out of college. I was a marketing consultant for a small computer consulting company and overworked so it was announced with great fanfare that I was allowed to hire an assistant.

This single hire changed our lives. For Dan, I was the first of a few bossy Asian female bosses that he thrived working under. For me, I hired him twice; once for that first job and then again when my own staffing company was ready to expand to Los Angeles. Read more…

4th of July Celebration Ideas

I love Pinterest. I’ve discovered that I am a digital hoarder of things that I am not good at. These pins inspire me to be better at crafting and get generally more into the spirit of holidays. Yep, my Pinterest boards are me in my fantasy world of Martha Stewart-like perfection. Read more…

Summer Fun Ideas from Family Fun Magazine

FamilyFun magazine has been celebrating its 20th anniversary with a fun, year-long initiative for families, appropriately titled “Badges of Fun.” The year’s initiative is coming to a close, but the fun isn’t over yet! The May issue spotlights the “Get Active” Badge, which is all about staying active and healthy while having fun with whole family — just in time for summer! Read more…

What Makes a Marriage Work

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. – Friedrich Nietzsch

I clipped out this article years ago and saved it in my scrapbook of recipes. The article, and I have no idea where I clipped it from, suggested that you cut out the list and keep in your wedding album. This is from psychologist Judith Wallerstein’s book The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts. She considers this set of tasks essential to maintaining a strong marriage. Read more…

Free Blog Updates in your Inbox

Monthly Newsletter with Subscriber Only Giveaways in your Inbox

Let’s Connect

Looking for something? Search here.

The Lost Bicycle by Cory Hills

When Mother Earth's son loses the first bicycle ever made, he embarks on a journey that leads him deep into the forest. Cory Hills, an award-winning percussionist storyteller, takes us through many twists and turns with a surprise ending! To learn more, please click image.